Water-softener valve mechanism



June 4, 1929. DANIELS 1,715,642

WATER SOFTENER VALVE MECHANISM Filed May 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i ggZ.

} Z Z7 12 2f ZZ Y June 4, 1929. I DANlELs I 1,715,642

WATER SOFTENER VALVE MECHANISM.

Filed May 5, 1927 2 Sh eetS -Sheet 2 3 Pasal'zon Patented June 4; 1929.

LEE G. DANIELS, F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

WATEB-SOFTENER VALVE ME Application. filed Kay 5, i927. Serial 1m188,984.

This invention relates to base-exchange water softeners and is: devotedmore particularl to improvements in the valve mechanism for and operatedsofteners, such as are more- 5 extensively provided for domestic use.

One of the'principal objects is to provide a valve mechanism of anextremely simple and inexpensive type and one which enables the averagemechanically unskilled person to put the softener through itsregenerations without fear of confusion or mistake and. with no need forthe use of aninstruction book, once the simple method of operation hasbeen committed to: a matter of routine.

According to the invention, a valve mechani'sm is provided operable by asingle hand lever shiftable to either one of two limit positions one forsoftening operation and the other for draining, salt charging andsoaki-ng, there being an intermediate position of the lever in themovement thereof from the draining position to the softening positionfor the regeneration flow or salt wash. In other words, the operation isreduced to a 1-2-3 routine.

I also prefer to use a simpler method of regenerating the softener,according to which the softener is charged with salt or brine at the endof the capacity'run and instead of the salt being washed through the bedof softening materiah'as is otherwise done, it is permitted to soak,that is, the brine by reason of its greater density, settles through thebed of softening material to the bottom thereof. The intimate contactwith the material necessarily produces eificientregeneration. Then,after the soaking the-regeneration flow is commenced, that is, theexcess brine and the liberated lime and magnesium hardness from thesoftening material is flushed out. In connection with this method ofoperation I have provided a si hon through which the level of the waterin the tank is lowered just before the salt or brineisintroduced, thesiphon having its high point above the level of the filler opening sothat once the siphon action is broken or interrupted it is notreestablished during the soaking period which follows the salt charging.

The invention embraces still other novel features and advantages whichwill .be referred to. in the course of the following description inwhich reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is aside view of a water softener equipped with my improved valve mechanismand also the siphon thereon which permitsoperating the softeneraccording to my novel method Fig. 2 is: a. front view of the valvemechanism, the same bein shown with the hand lever in the #2 posit1onfor the regeneration flow or salt wash, while the dotted line positionof the lever at the right indicates the #1 position for the draining,salt charging and soaking, and the dotted line position of thelevershown at the left indicates the #3 position for normal softeningoperation and Fig. 3 is a side view of F ig. 2' with one of the valvesand its operating pulley appearing in. section.

The softener comprises a tank 10 serving as a container for a bed ofzeolite mineral, or other water softenin material. Hard water issupplied tothe soi tener from any suitable source as, for example, thecity water mains, through a ipe 11 and soft water is arranged tobewithrawn to the service system fhrou h. a pipe 12'. A pipe 13 connects at 14with t e lower end of the tank through a distributor pipe 15 or othermeans for distributing the water flow uniformly throughout thecrosssectional area of the bed of water softening material 16. Thedotted line indicates approximately the level to which the tank isfilled with the softening material. The head space left at-17 issuificient to insure the settlin out of any material which might tend torlse with the water passing through the tank. A pipe 18 connects at 19,with the upper end of the tank. The valve mechanism, here generallyindicated by the reference numeral 20, is arranged to control theconnections for the tank 10 with the water supply pipe 11 and with a:drain outlet pipe 21, for the three phases of operation of the softener,namely the salt charging operation with its accompanying draining andsoaking, the regenerating operation, and the normal softening operation.In the normal softening operation the hard water supplied through thepipe 11 flows through the valve 22 downwardly through the pipe 13, asindicated by the full line arrow, for passa e into the lower end of thetank beneath the ed of softening material. The distributor pipe 15, aspreviously mentioned, distributes the water even ly throughout thecross-sectional area of the bed for uniform contact with the material,and the water in passing upwardly through the bed is: softened andsupplied to the service system. through the pipe12. At the end of thecapacity run when the softener has to V be regenerated the valvemechanism 20 is operated to close the valve 22 so as to shut ascommunication between the supply pipe 11 and the softener tank. Thecompanion valve 23, on the other hand, is opened to establish.communication between the upper end of the tank and the drain pipe 21.The softener is then in readiness for the introduction of the salt orbrine through the filler neck 24. The latter has a cap 25 suitablyclamped in place by the hand screw device 26 so as normally to seal thetank. When the cap 25 is removed the air seal is, of course, broken andacertainamount of water is siphoned out of the upper end of the tankdown to the level of the lower end of the pipe 19. The amount to whichthepipe projects down into the tank is indicated clearly in dottedlines. When the level has dropped to this point the siphon action isbroken and, of course, there is no further drainage. Furthermore, thesiphon 1 action is not reestablished simply by the pouring in of thesalt or brine inasmuchas the pipe 27, which represents the high point ofthe siphon, is above the level of the filler opening. Thus, after thesalt or brine is introduced the cap 25 is replaced and the softenermaybe allowed to stand untouched for a period of soaking during whichperiod the brine, by reason of its greater density, settles through thebed of softening material to the bottom thereof, thus coming intointimate contact with all of the mineral for a complete chemicalexchange between the brine and the mineral known as base-exchange. Thesoaking is allowed to go on for thirty minutes or more and after thatthe valve mechanism 20 is operated to artly open the valve 22 and partlyclose the valve 23. This commences the regeneration flow or salt wash inwhich the incoming water passes through the valye 22 necessarily at amore or less restricted rate due to the valve being only partly open,and flows downwardly through the pipe 13, as indicated by the dottedline arrow. The water is thus introduced into the bottom of the tankthrough the distributor pipe 15 which uniformly distributes itthroughout the cross-sectional area of the bed for passage upwardlytherethrough. In passing upwardly the water picks up the excess brineand the liberated magnesium and lime from the softening material andcarries it out through the pipe 19 for discharge to the sewer by way ofthe drain pipe 21. During this flow if there is any softening materialwhich has not become regenerated during the soaking when the brinesettled down through the mate-' rial, such material is more or lessinsured of regeneration when thebrine is carried upwardly through thematerial for a second passage therethrough. The increase in efiiciencyresulting from the carrying of the brine twice through the material willbe selfevident and it will, furthermore, be clear that less salt orbrine may be used because of this new method of operation-than wouldotherwise be the case. The regeneration or 'salt wash is continued onlyuntil it is definitely insured that all of the brine has been disposedof. This may be determined by withdrawof thesoftener is suflic'ientlyclear from the foregoing description that the special features andadvantages of the improved valve mechanism will be readily appreciatedwhen the construction thereof is described.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observedthat the valves 22 and 23 are ordinary standard globe type valves, thestems 30 and 31 of which are threaded, as indicated at 32, to screw inand out in the closing and opening of the valves.

The stelns 30 and 31 have small pulleys 33 and 34, respectively, fixedthereto as by means of set screws for the turning thereof. A single handlever 35 is preferably formed integral with one of the pulleys, in thiscase the pulley 34, and is arranged to be shifted to the three positionsindicated in Fig. 2. The turning of the pulley 34 producesthe sameturning of the pulley 33 but in the reverse direction by means of acries-crossed belt connection shown at 36. The latter consists of aflexible wire cable of one continuous length wound in several turnsabout each of the two pulley 34;, and the other end being passed throughanother opening 39 in the pulley 34 and clamped by a screw 40. The cableat about the midpoint thereof is looped through openings 41 in theflange of the pulley 33. In

this way the two pulleys have a positive operating connection. Thepreceding description of the three phases of operation of the soften er,that is, for softening, salt "charging and soaking, and regeneration,has no doubt made,

it clear that when the valve 22 is fully opened for softening operationthe valve 23 is closed. Then, in the salt charging and drainingoperation. the valve 22 is closed entirely and the valve 23 is openedentirely. Following that, in the regeneration, the valve 23 which wasfully opened is partly closed, and the valve 22 which was fully closedis partly opened. In other words, the reversing operating connectionbetween the two valves causes the one to be opened when the other isclosed and vice versa. The fact that the one valve is closed in theopening of the other and vice versa enables an adjustment in the extentto which the valves may be opened. For example, ,in a

.and to preventthe carrying ofl of the mineral v valve which requirestwo full turns for operating the same from a' fully closed to afullyopened position the extent of opening may be adjusted so that thevalve will open to the extent of one turn, a turn and a quarter, (whichhappens, to be the setting in the present case) a turn and a half, or asmuch as two turns, depending on the available water pressure. In acommunity where the available water pressure is low the valves may beset to open wider than in a case where the available water pressure ishigh, the thought being to moderate the flow for proper softening of thewater in the water by reason of a too heavy flow. In the setting of thevalves the amount of valve openingis determined simply. by closing theone valve with its pulley clamped thereto and opening the other valve towhatever its fullest extent of opening is to be, and there- 'uponclamping its pulley to the stem thereof. In other words, the expressionfully opened.

as here used is a purely relative one as the extent of opening isvariable. It will be evident from the foregoing that with the lever 35in the dotted position indicated to the left in Fig. 2, corresponding tothe #3 position for softening, the lever 35 has to be turned ina'counter-clockwise direction approximately a turn and a quarter to thedotted line position indicated at the right in Fig, 2 in order fully toopen the valve 23 and fully close the valve 22. There is no need for anyindication ofa limit position since the operator merely turns the leverin a counter-clockwise direction until it can be moved no farther.Following this, after the salt charging and the soaking, the operatorturns'the lever in 'a clockwise direction'to'themid position, indicatedin full lines .in Fig. 2. The operator will use the pipe 18 as a guidein determining fairly accurately the mid position. After the salt wash,the operator moves the lever again in a clockwise direction as far as itwill go, which is to the softening position indicated in dotted lines atthe left in Fig. 2. It is,

, therefore, evident that the o eration is reduced to a,l23 routine antwo arrows are, therefore, accompanied with.

the legends softl and salt. Or, if desired, the two arrows may beprovided on the pulley 34 along with the legends to indicate which waythe lever 35 should be turned.

I have found it tobe particularly, convenient feature to employ a drop Tfitting 46 in' the connection between the water supply pipe 11 and thevalve 22, and a similarfitting 47 in the connection between the drainpipe '21 and the valve 23. This enables dispensingwith a union in thepipe between the top or bottom of the tank and the valve mechanism,which is always necessary otherwise, so that animportant itemof expenseis eliminated, and also permits connecting up the softener from eitherside or from both sides, so far as the valve mechanism is concerned.When the pipes 11 and 21 are brought in at the left hand side the plug48 and the-test faucet 28 will-serve to close the T fittings on theright handside thereof. Drop fittings are equipped with fastening lugs,as indicated at 49, which in the ordinary use of these fittings receivescrews or bolts to fasten the same to walls or ceilings along which thepipes threaded therein are extended. In the present case, l1owever,.thelower portion and the upper portion of-the pipe connections arecompleted separately and without any unionsand are ,then arranged to beswung together into linefor connection by the drop fittings. The latterare disposed back to back and the lugs 49 of the two fittings arearranged in register so that bolts 50 may be entered therethrough to lfasten the two parts together. There is, therefore, a considerablesaving in the cost of the valve unit and also in the cost ofinstallation.

It is believedthe foregoing description conveys a clear understanding ofmy invention and all of'its objects and advantages. It should beapparent that the invention is capable of a certain amount ofmodification from the particular embodiment herein shown and describedand for that reason the appended claims have been drawn witha view tocovering, all legitimate modifications, adaptations and variations ofthe invention which may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art asa result of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. In a water softener, the combination with 'a water softener tankcontainingsoftening material, and means for supplying hard 4 water tosaid tank and withdrawing soft water therefrom, of a pair of valves, oneof which controls communication between one end of the tank and thewater supply and the other of which controls communication be-.

tween the other end of the tank and a drain outlet,- the stems of bothof said valves screwing in thesame direction for opening and in the samedirection for closing, means for turning one of said valves for openingand closing the same, and a reversing operating connection between/saidvalves whereby in the closing of one the other is opened and vice versa.

' 2. In a Water softener, the combination with a wa-tersoftener tank, ofa pair of valves,

one of which controls communication between one end of the tank and thewater supply and the other 1 of which controls communication between.the other end of the tank and a drain outlet,-the valves beingsubstantially the same and the stems of both valves turning in onedirection for opening and in the opposite direction for closing, meansfor turning one of said valves for opening and closing the same, and adirect, mechanical reversing operating connection between the stemsof'said valves whereby in the turning of one stem for the closing of onevalve the other is simultane ously opened and vice vers'a.

3. A water softener valve mechanism/as set forth in claim 2 wherein thereversing operating connection between the valves com- .prises pulleysmounted on the stems of the valves, and a belt element wound about saidpulleys and cries-crossed between the same. 4. A water softener valvemechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein the reversing operat ingconnection between the valves comprises pulleys mounted on the stems of.the valves, and a belt.element wound about said pulleys andcriss-crossed between the same, one of the said pulleys being adjustablymounted on said valve stem whereby to permit varying the extent of valveopening movement.

, 5. A- water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 2 whereinthe operating connection between said valves comprises pulleys 1 fixedon the stems of said valves, and a flexible l cable element wound aboutthe pulleys and \criss-crossed between the same, the 'cable {being fixedat one point to the peri hery of 1 each of the pulleys whereby to provie a positive operating connection between the pulleys. 1

6. A'water softener valve mechanism as 'setforth in claim 1 wherein theoperating connection between said valves comprises pulleys cable oneachofthe pulleysto permit more than onecomplete turn of said valves.

'7. A water softener valve mechanism asset forth in claim 2 wherein theone valve is fully closed when the other valve is fully opened and viceversa, the operating connection between said valves bein in a one to oneratio, whereby the one valve is arranged to close toward amid-openposition and the other valve is arranged to open toward a mid-openposition forthe regeneration flow.

8. In a water softener, the combination with a water softener tank, of apair of valves, one of which controls the inlet of hard water'to thetank and the other of which. con:

9. A- water softener valve mechanism asset forth in claim 8 wherein oneof the said stem whereby to permit varying the extent of valve openingmovement. I

10. A water softener valve me'chanismas set forth in claim 8 wherein thecable is fixed at one point to the periphery of each of the pulleyswhereby to provide a positive operating connection between the pulleys.

11. In a water softener, the combination with a water softener tankhaving a top filler openin which is normall sealed, of a valve controing the inlet of lower end of said tank, and another valve conard waterto the pulleys is adjustably mounted onthe valve trolling the outlet-toa drain from the upper end of said tank, the connection between the lastmentioned valve and the upper end of said tai k being such as to cause apredetermined a aunt of water to be siphoned out of the tank through thevalve when said valve is open and'the other valve closed and the tank isunsealed whereby to lowerjthe level of water in the tank to apredetermined distance below the filler opening.

-. 12. A water softener structure as set in claim 11 wherein the si honconnection has the high point thereof a ove the level of the filleropening for the purposedescribedt 13. In a water softener, thecombination with a tank havin is normally sealed, of valve meanscontrolling the inlet of hard water to'the lower end ofthe tank and forcontrollin the outlet to a'drain from the upper end 0 the tank, andmeans for si honing the water out of the tank to a predetermined levelwhen the inlet a top 'filler opening whichis closed and the outlet isopened and the tank munication between the water supply and 7 one end of-said tank, another valve for-con- 1 trolling communication between" theother end of said tank-and a drain outlet pipe, and a pair of fittingsbetween said valves one for connecting the first valve with the watersupply pipe and the other for connecting the other valve with the drainpipe, said fittings being arranged to permit connection with the .watersupply and drain pipes from either or.

both sides of said valves, saidfittings being of the drop typewithfastening lugs project ing in opposite directions from the backthere-1 therewith from either side in relation to thevalves, the otherside being arranged to receive a closure such as a test faucet or plug.

16. A water softener, comprising in combination with a tank and valvemeans for controlling the inlet of hard water to the tank andregeneration of the softening material, pipes connected to the upper andlower ends of the tank and extending toward each other, and dropfittings fastened on the inner ends of said pipes and having the lugsthereof arranged to be fastened together, whereby the lower pipe and theupper pipe ma be fastened' to the tank ends separately an without unionstherein and swung together into line and connected together by means ofthe lugs of said fitting.

17. In a water softener, the combination with a water softener tank, ofa pair of valves,

one of which controls communication for one end of the tank and acertain pipe and the other of which controls communication for the otherend of the tank and another pipe, the valves being substantially thesame and the stems thereof moving in one direction for opening and inthe opposite direction for closing, means for operating one of saidvalves for opening and closing the same, and a direct, mechanical,reversing operating connection between the stems of said valves wherebyin the operation of one stem for the closing of one valve the other issimultaneously opened and vice versa.

18. A water softener valve mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein thecable is fixed at one point to the periphery of eachwof the pulleyswhereby to provide a positive operating connection between the pulleysand wherein there is more than one lap of the cable on each of thepulleys to permit more than one complete turn of said valves.

In witness of the foregoing I aflix my signature.

LEE G. DANIELS.

